Piano-flange attaching-bar.



P. G. BILLINGS. PIANO FLANGE APPLICATION PI ATTAGHING BAR. LED MAYPatented Dec. 8, 1908.

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"UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFTQE.

FREDERICK GEORGE BILLINGS, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

PIANO-FLANGE ATTACI-IING-IBAR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK BIL- LINGS, citizen of the United States,and resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Piano-Flange-Attaching Bars, of which thefollowing is a specification containing a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart hereof.

My invention relates to piano flange attaching bars, the object of myinvention being to construct a simple, inexpensive and continuous metalbar which is readily attached to the main rail of a piano action, and inwhich metal bar is provided a slot which receives portions of the hammerbutt flanges, which latter are detachably secured to the wood rail. Bysuch arrangement, the main wood rail of the action is greatlystrengthened and the flanges are kept in perfect alineinent by reason oftheir engagement with the continuous metal rail and the hammers andbutts can readily be removed and replaced without destroying the perfectlineup of said parts.

To the above purposes, my invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter morefully set forth, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of the main rail of a pianoaction and showing my improved continuous metal bar positioned in saidrail, and also showing a pair of flanges attached to the rail and bar;and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the continuous metalbar.

Referring by numerals to the accompany ing drawings :1 designates theordinary wood rail, which is in general use in upright piano actions,and formed in the front face thereof, adjacent the top, is a continuouslongitudinally extendlng groove 2, of such size as to readily receivethe continuous metal bar 3. This continuous bar 8, which occupies thegroove 2, is preferably constructed of brass, or analogous metal, isrectangular in cross section, and extends from one end of the rail 1 tothe other, and the outer face of said bar lies flush with the bar 3 andat suitable distances apart, are

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 26, 1908.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Serial No. 435,135.

apertures 4%., through which pass screws 5, which rigidly fix the bar onthe rail 1, and formed in the front face of the bar between theseapertures and the top of said bar is a continuous groove or slot 6,which is for the reception of lugs formed on the lower ends of thehammer butt flanges. These hammer butt flanges A, a pair of which isshown in Fig. 1, are arranged on the front face of the upper portion ofthe rail 1 with their laterally bent lower ends seated in the groove 6,and said flanges are detachably held on the rail by means of screws B,which pass through the butts of said flanges and enter apertures Cformed in the rail 1 above the continuous groove 2 therein.

By my improved construction of rail, the flanges are held in absolutealinement while the screws B are being seated and tightened, and whilethe hammers and butts are re moved, replaced, or spaced; and the workincident to the removal and replacing of the hammers and butts can bereadily and quickly accomplished by means of a screw driver. The metalbar stifiens and strengthens the wood rail and effectually prevents anymaterial shrinkage and distortion of the central portion of said woodrail.

I claim:

1. The combination with a piano action rail, in the face of which isformed a continuous groove, of a continuous metal bar seated in saidgroove, there being a continuous groove formed in the face of said baradjacent the upper edge thereof, and there being apertures formedthrough the body of the bar below the groove, which apertures receivethe screws which fasten the bar to the rail.

2. The combination with the paino action rail, in the face of which isformed a continuous groove and there being a series of apertures formedin the rail above the groove, of a continuous metal bar seated in thegroove in the rail, there being a continuous groove formed in the faceof the metal bar adjacent the upper edge thereof, and there beingapertures formed through the bar below the groove, which aperturesreceive the screws which fasten the bar to the rail.

3. The combination with the piano action rail, in the face of which isformed a continuous groove and there being a series of apertures formedin the rail above the which apertures receive the screws which 10groove, of a continuous metal bar seated in fasten the bar to the rail.

the groove in the rail, the front face of In testimony whereof, I havesigned my which metal bar lies flush with the face of name to thisspecification, in presence of the rail in which the apertures areformed, two subscribing witnesses.

there being a continuous groove formed in FREDERICK GEORGE BILLINGS. theface of the metal bar adjacent the upper lvltnessesz edge thereof, andthere being apertures W. S. SMALLwooD,

formed through the bar below the groove, HENRY I. BLACK.

